Nice pictures of the big wigs breaking into the sake and gulping it down!
Delta launches nonstop Seattle-Osaka service
Sake cups marking the start of Delta Air Lines' nonstop flights between Seattle and Osaka, Japan, are stacked during a ceremony at SeaTac Airport while Taiko drummers perform on Monday. (Aubrey Cohen/seattlepi.com) Click picture or here for photo gallery.
Delta Air Lines on Monday launched scheduled nonstop service between Seattle and Osaka, Japan, with a ceremony at and then flight from SeaTac Airport.
"We are the gateway to the Pacific Rim," Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said during the ceremony.
The Seattle-Osaka service "is going to create new relationships for us that are going to open up the doors for even more trade for Washington State," she added before announcing a proclamation declaring Monday "Delta Air Lines Day."
K. Ota, Japan's consul general in Seattle, noted that San Francisco is the only other city in the continental U.S. with nonstop flights to both Tokyo and Osaka (Honolulu and Guam also have such flights).
"Seattle becomes one of the only two gateways in mainland United States which has direct links to the two major metropolises in Japan -- the Tokyo area and Osaka area," he said, noting that Osaka is a major business and cultural center.
Ota also noted that the Boeing 767 -- the plane Delta is flying between Seattle and Osaka -- was not only designed and built in Washington, but also has 20,000 components from Japan.
"The Boeing 767 is the symbol of friendship and cooperation between Washington State and Japan," he said.
Delta announced the service in October, along with nonstop flights between Seattle and Beijing, which started last Friday. The flights to Beijing and Osaka are timed for to connect with Delta and partner
Alaska Airlines flights into and out of Seattle. Delta also offers daily service from Seattle to Tokyo's Narita International Airport.
"By adding this route delta continues a proud tradition of using Seattle as a gateway to Asia," Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' vice president of marketing, said Monday. "And since Seattle is also the gateway to the Pacific Northwest and the state of Alaska, the linking of our route networks here in the emerald city means unmatched global access for travelers throughout this region including the ability to enjoy this convenient new service to an essential Asian city."
Here's a short
photo gallery from Monday's ceremony.